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Saturday, August 11, 2012

Manila flood

Marikina, a man gathers his dogs on the
roof of his flooded house as rain continues to fall in the Philippine
capital.

Rescue volunteers carry to safety a resident of Provident village in
Marikina City, Marikina river overflows
in the village.

A small boat carries people across a flooded street in San Juan, east of
Manila, on Aug. 8. Widespread flooding has paralyzed the Philippine
capital.

Last week the entire districts of Manila was submerged after the capital received more than a month's worth of rain in 48 hours.

It's estimated 80 per cent of the city were underwater. The death toll from last week's rain in Manila and nearby provinces has risen to more than 25, bringing the confirmed number of people killed across the country since a typhoon triggered heavy rains in late July to over 73.

As overflowing rivers begin to recede, civil defence chief Benito Ramos says the top priority is to help the 1.95 million people affected by the floods, including 300,000 who are sheltering in evacuation centres.

Australia offers assistance

Australia is giving $AU2 million in aid to help flood victims in Manila.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr says many people are desperate for food and shelter.

In the riverside district of Marikina, where massive squatter communities were inundated, some residents returned to their homes on Wednesday night only for another deluge to hit a few hours later and cause another flood spike.